Slip over wedged cover



P 1966 G. c. BAUER 3,244,354

SLIP OVER WEDGED COVER Filed Nov. 2, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l Z in:

v llllllllllllm a INVENTOR. ace/11.0 6 5A uae April 5, 1966 G. c. BAUERSLIP OVER WEDGED COVER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 2, 1964 INVENTOR.622,440 6? 5/] 4/152 wwmi wwygw United States Patent 3,244,354 SLIP OVERWEDGED COVER Gerald C. Bauer, Portage, MiclL, assiguor to Cellu-Kote,Inc., Schoolcraft, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Nov. 2, 1964,Ser. No. 408,018 4 Claims. (Cl. 229-43) This application is acontinuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 261,941, nowPatent No. 3,195,426 filed February 25, 1963, which in turn is acontinuation-in-part of my earlier application Serial No. 177,006, nowabandoned.

This invention relates to an improved rim and cover for containers,particularly containers made of fiber material.

Fiber drums and containers are commonly provided with a bottom closurewhich is permanently secured in place and a top closure or cover whichis removable from the container. There are disclosed in my applicationfirst mentioned above a number of top and bottom closures for containerswhich are satisfactory for use in many situations.

However, in a continuing effort to improve the cover structure in orderto increase the versatility of the containerfor holding differentmaterials, it has been noted that certain. types of materials, of whichfoods, such as frozen eggs, are an example, must be very tightly sealedand the seal must remain effective for long periods of time even thoughthe container may be subjected to rough treatment. Prior coverstructures have not been completely satisfactory for this purpose.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improvedcover structure for containers having a rolled upper rim, particularlyone having an inner ring and an outer ringpositioned in close proximityto each other, the cover structure providing a tight seal for the top ofthe container.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved cover asaforesaid, in which the cover has two downwardly extending wall portionswhich, when mounted on the rim, are in a stressed condition so that theycontact the radially inner side and the radially outer side of the rimand are in snug, sealing contact therewith.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved cover,as aforesaid, in which the two downwardly extending wall portions extenda substantial distance below the points at which theycontact the rim andare so constructed and arranged as to stiffen said wall portions inorder to maintain snug contact thereof with the rim. I

' It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved cover,as aforesaid, in which, if desired, a sealing material can be placedbetween the cover and the rim to provide a hermetic seal.

It is a further object of the inventionto provide an improved cover, asaforesaid, in which the Wall portions are arranged to push therim ringsupwardly and toward each other to increase the pressure which the uppersurfaces of the rings exert on sealing material therebetween to assure amore positivehermetic seal. 4

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent topersonsacquainted with products of this type upon reading the followingdescription and inspecting the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary side elevationalview of a container and acover structure, with parts thereof being broken away.

FIGURE 2 is a view, on an enlarged scale, of a fragment of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view through the edge portion of a coverconstructed according to the invention.

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 and showing a modification.

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 and showing a furthermodification.

In carrying out the objects and purposes above set forth, I haveprovided a container comprised of a cylinder 1 (FIGURE 1), preferablymade of fibrous material, such as paperboard, which is closed at itsbottom by a suitable closure (not shown) and which has at its top aremovable cover 2, preferably made of metal, such as steel or aluminum.The bottom closure can be the same as any of those disclosed in mycopending application first above referred to and, hence, needs nofurther description.

The cylinder 1 has secured to its upper end a rim 3, preferably made ofmetal, such as aluminum or steel. The rim .3 has a spirally wound outerportion or ring 4 (FIGURE 2) which is coiled upon and interlocked withthe upper end of the cylinder 1, as described in detail in myapplication first above referred to. The outer ring 4 is connected to arolled inner portion or ring 6 which is disposed inwardly of theinterior wall of the cylinder 1. It will be noted that the inner ring 6is of somewhat less radial width than the outer ring 4 and its upper endis offset downwardly from the upper end of said outer ring. Further, agroove 7 is formed between the inner and outer rings 4 and 6 and saidgroove is open at its upper end.

The cover 2 (FIGURES 2 and 3) is comprised of a central portion 11having a gradually outwardly and downwardly sloping wall portion 12which merges smoothly with an arcuate portion 13 of relatively smallradius of curvature. An upright wall portion 14 extends upwardly fromthe upper outer edge of the arcuate portion 13, preferably at an angleof slightly less than 90 with respect to the horizontal, for example, sothat said Wall portion 14 is inclined outwardly somewhat for purposes tobe described hereinbelow. The cover 2 has an upper wall portion 16extending outwardly from the upper end of the upright wall portion 14and overlying both of the rings 4 and 6. The wall portion 16 in thisembodiment has a centrally located depression or groove 17 substantiallyaligned with the groove 7 between the inner and outer rings 4 and 6.However, the groove 17 is an optional feature.

An outer wall portion or skirt 18 extends substantially downwardly fromthe outer edge of the upper wall portion 16. The outer wall portion 18preferably is inclined with respect to the horizontal at an angleslightly less than so that it extends inwardly as it extends downwardlyand is inclined in substantially the same direction as the wall portion14. The outer wall portion 18 terminates in an outwardly extendingrolled edge 19.

V In use, the cover 2 is placed over the upper end of the container withthe rim 3 of the container being received between the upright Wallportions 14 and 18 of the cover 2 and With the upper wall portion 16 ofsaid cover overlying the rim. Specifically, the inner upright wallportion 14 contacts the radially innermost portion of the inner ring 6and extends substantially tangent thereto. The outer upright wallportion 18 contacts the radially outermost portion of the outer ring 4and extends substantially tangent thereto. The wall portions 14 and 18may be bulged outwardly slightly, as indicated at 21 and 22, at thezones where they contact the rings 4 and 6.

The distance A between the opposing surfaces of the wall portions 14 and18 in the unmounted condition of the cover (FIGURE 3) may be slightlyless than the distance B between the remote surfaces of the rings 4 and6 at the widest part of the rim 3. For example, the dimension A may be0.703 inch and the dimension B may be 0.707 inch. Thus, when the cover 2is placed on the rim 3, the wall portions 14 and 18 will be spread apartslightly, in addition to possibly forming the bulges 21 and 22.Spreading apart of the wall portions 14 and 18 is resisted by the rollededge 19 and by the wall portions 12 and 13 of the cover. While theselatter parts are capable of yielding under pressure to permit the coverto be mounted on the rim, when the pressure is released they apply arestoring force tending to return the wall portions 14 and 18 to theirunstressed condition, whereby said wall portions are urged tightlyagainst the rim 3 in order to provide an effective seal against both theinside and the outside of the rim.

It will be noted that even in the mounted condition of the cover (FIGURE2) the outer wall portion 18 is inclined slightly inwardly in a downwarddirection so that the cover is held against accidental removal.

The wall portion 18 extends a substantial distance, for example, about/8", below the lowermost portion of the outer ring 4. This increases thestiffening and resilient gripping effect and, also, makes it possible toplace sealing material in the space between the wall portion and thecylinder below the outer ring 4, which may be desired for certain typesof packaging operations. The Wall portion 14 similarly extends asuitable distance, for example, A to /8", below the inner ring 6 forimproving the stiffening and resilient gripping effect.

The cover is applied by forcing one circumferential portion of the coverover the Tim and then moving .the applying force circumferentiallyaround the cover until the entire cover is seated against the rim. Whenthe final portion of the cover is placed on the rim, a snap lock type ofaction occurs. Because only a portion of the cover is mounted on the rimat one time, the cover parts are capable of resiliently flexing asneeded to fit the parts together.

A modified structure is shown in FIGURE 4. Most of the structure isidentical with that disclosed in FIG- URES 13 and is indicated by thesame reference numerals with the suffix a added thereto. 'Here, asuitable sealing compound 26 is placed in and fills up the groove 7a forthe purpose of providing a hermetic seal. Also, the outer wall portion18a has a continuous groove 27 formed therein and disposed below, and inthis embodiment engaging the lower side of, the outer ring 4 forenhancing the holding effect. It will be noted that 1n the embodimentshown in FIGURE 4 wherein the groove 27 contacts the underside of theouter ring 4, the restoring force referred to above acting through thegroove 27 will urge the wall portion 16 toward the rim :1 and into tightcontact with the sealing compound 26 to insure an effective seal.

A further modified structure is shown in FIGURE 5. In this embodimentthe groove 17 is eliminated. In its place the top wall portion 16b ofthe cover has a radially inner section 31 substantially coplanar withthe central portion 11b of the cover and a radially outer section 32which is offset downwardly from the inner section and is connectedthereto by an arcuate portion 33. The arcuate portion 33 engages theinner side of the rolled edge 34 of the bottom closure of the adjacentupper container to prevent relative lateral sliding movement thereof.Thus, the arcuate portion 33 serves as a stacking ring for assuring thatcontainers stacked on one another do not slide laterally with respect toeach other.

If desired, a preformed sealing annulus 36 can be attached to the innersection 31 of the top wall for sealing engagement with the inner ring.The space provided between the inner section 31 and the ring 3 makes itpossible to use a preformed annulus which is less expensive.

While particular preferred embodiments of the invention have beendescribed, the invention contemplates such changes and modificationstherein as lie within the scope of the appended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A container construction, comprising:

a cylindrical member defining the sidewall of the container, saidcylindrical member being formed of fibrous material;

a one-piece rim having generally the appearance of a figure 8 in crosssection and disposed transversely across one end of said cylindricalmember, said rim having an intermediate wall portion of substantiallythe same external diameter as the, internal diameter of said cylindricalmember and which is snugly telescoped within said end ofsaid cylindricalmember, said rim having an outer wall portion which merges smoothly withand extends radially outwardly from said intermediate wall portion thendownwardly and back toward said member, said outer wall portion beingcurved through an arc of at least about 360 and being rigidlyinterlocked with an end portion of said cylindrical member and formingan outer ring projecting radially outwardly from the outer surface ofsaid cylindrical member, said rim having an inner wall portion extendingradially inwardly and then up.- wardly and back toward said cylindricalmember, said inner wall portion being curved through an arc of at leastabout 360 and forming an inner ring which projects radially inwardlyfrom the inner surface of said cylindrical member, said inner and outerrings being disposed in at least partially overlapping relation in anaxial direction along said cylindrical member so that they providereinforcement for each other in a radial direction, said rirn alsohaving an upwardly opening groove between said rings;

a one-piece cover of resilient material mounted on said rim for closingoif saidone end of said cylindrical unember, said cover having a centralportion having an outwardly anddownwardly sloping wall portion whichmerges smoothly with an arcuate portion, said cover having a generallyU-shaped outer edge portion, said outer edge portion having a firstupright wall portion extending upwardly and flaring radially outwardlyat a slight angle from said arcuate portion and snugly contactingat apoint between its ends the radially innermost part of said inner ring,said outer edge portion having a radially extending top wall overlyingsaid inner and outer rings and bridging said groove in said rim, saidcover having a second upright wall port-ion depending: from the outeredge of said top wall and tapering radially inwardly at a small angleand snugly contacting the radially outermost part of said outerring, thespace between said upright wall portions of said cover in the unmountedcondition of said cover being less than the spacing between saidradially innermost part and said radially outermost part of said rimwhereby said cover is in a stressed condition and said upright wallportions are resiliently urged into snug engagement with said rim whenmounted thereon, said upright wallportions both extending an appreciabledistance below the points where they contact said rim.

2. A container construction according to claim 1, in which the uppermostpoint on said inner ring is spaced vertically from said top wall andincluding sealing ma terial disposed in the space therebetween.

3. A container construction according to claim 1, in References Cited bythe Examiner lli ifid iiih iiif 1 30332 23d filiiiiiing iifiiig fifififiUNITED STATES PATENTS disposed within said groove and engaging saiddepression. 10/1922 Cooke 220 42 4. A container according to claim 1, inwhich the top 5 2??? 3 1 Hothersan Wall has a radially inner section anda radially outer sec- 9 Taylor tion which are vertically offset, and anupstanding portion FOREIGN PATENTS connects said inner and outersections and forms an abut- 632,625 9 7 France. ment against WhlCh thelower end of another container 1s 277 3 1929 Framm adapted to cont-actto prevent relative lateral sliding of 10 the containers with respect toeach other. FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner.

1. A CONTAINER CONSTRUCTION, COMPRISING: A CYLINDRICAL MEMBER DEFININGTHE SIDE WALL OF THE CONTAINER, SAID CYLINDRICAL MEMBER BEING FORMED OFFIBROUS MATERIAL; A ONE-PIECE RIM HAVING GENERALLY THE APPEARANCE OF AFIGURE 8 IN CROSS SECTION AND DISPOSED TRANSVERSELY ACROSS ONE END OFSAID CYLINDRIAL MEMBER, SAID RIM HAVING AN INTERMEDIATE WALL PORTION OFSUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME EXTERNAL DIAMETER AS THE INTERNAL DIAMETER OFSAID CYLINDRICAL MEMBER AND WHICH IS SNUGLY TELESCOPED WITHIN SAID ENDOF SAID CYLINDRICAL MEMBER, SAID RIM HAVING AN OUTER WALL PORTION WHICHMERGES SMOOTHLY WITH AND EXTENDS RADIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM SAIDINTERMEDIATE WALL PORTION THEN DOWNWARDLY AND BACK TOWARD SAID MEMBER,SAID OUTER WALL PORTION BEING CURVED THROUGH AN ARC OF AT LEAST ABOUT360* AND BEING RIGIDLY INTERLOCKED WITH AN END PORTION OF SAIDCYLINDRICAL MEMBER AND FORMING AN OUTER RING PROJECTING RADIALLYOUTWARDLY FROM THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID CYLINDRICAL MEMBER, SAID RIMHAVING AN INNER WALL PORTION EXTENDING RADIALLY INWARDLY AND THENUPWARDLY AND BACK TOWARD SAID CYLINDRICAL MEMBER, SAID INNER WALLPORTION BEING CURVED THROUGH AN ARC OF AT LEAST ABOUT 360* AND FORMINGAN INNER RING WHICH PROJECTS RADIALLY INWARDLY FROM THE INNER SURFACE OFSAID CYLINDRICAL MEMBER, SAID INNER AND OUTER RINGS BEING DISPOSED IN ATLEAST PARTIALLY OVERLAPPING RELATION IN AN AXIAL DIRECTION ALONG SAIDCYLINDRICAL MEMBER SO THAT THEY PROVIDE REINFORCEMENT FOR EACH OTHER INA RADIAL DIRECTION, SAID RIM ALSO HAVING AN UPWARDLY OPENING GROOVEBETWEEN SAID RINGS;